If you are invited to participate in the program, you will be eligible to apply for a need-based scholarship, which is intended to cover some of the costs of living, but not all of the costs. This scholarship could also fund relocation expenses and other essential day-to-day living needs.

‍Can you provide a list of companies that are hiring this session?

Unfortunately, we don’t have a comprehensive list of mentor companies; hiring at many companies is done very quickly, and they don’t usually plan their hiring needs this many months in advance. The list of companies that hire out of the program varies a bit from session to session; the white paper and the Fellows page includes a representative sample of these companies.

Do you partner with companies internationally?

‍As of this time, we do not currently work with companies internationally, but we are open to this idea and would like to expand our partnerships to companies located outside of the US.

‍Does everyone who completes the program receive a job offer?

As a result of completing the 7 week program, Fellows interview with mentor companies and are offered jobs. The amount of time it takes each Fellow to receive and accept an offer varies. After completing all the interviews, 5-8 weeks after the end of Insight, you should have one or more job offers from companies and be ready to start your career as a data scientist. The Insight team works with everyone very closely to determine the best fit for them to ensure they are successful and happy in the new role.

General Questions

‍Do you have any recommendations for how I can prepare myself to transition to data science?

If you have been researching Data Science careers, you already have many of the skills needed to be a data scientist. The same skills apply to a health data scientist. To get your hands dirty, we recommend taking some introductory computer science classes (first 2-3 courses in whatever the core CS curriculum is for undergraduates at your university). This will provide you with an extremely solid foundation that will serve you well in your research, as well as a foundation for doing data science and anything software related in the future. Additionally, we would also recommend an introductory to intermediate statistics course and a machine learning course if it is available. Once you feel comfortable with basic coding and exploratory data analysis, we strongly recommend you work on a side project (apart from course work or capstone project) where you pick up an interesting problem and start solving it with public data and open-source tools such as Python and R.

Admissions procedure / qualifications

‍Am I qualified to participate if I don’t have a PhD?

Unfortunately, at this time we only accept candidates who have completed or are approaching completion of an MD or a PhD. However, you may be interested in our Insight Data Engineering Fellows Program or our Insight Artificial Intelligence Fellows Program, which do not have this education requirement.

‍Is there an age limit to participate in the program? Do I have to be a recent grad?

We do not have an age limit on program participation, and welcome you to apply as long as you have an MD or a PhD.

After submitting an application, when can I expect to hear back?

While we sometimes accept applications several months in advance, we typically do not begin reviewing applications until 2-3 months before the session is scheduled to begin. In the meantime, the Insight Notification List is the best way to stay up-to-date on new sessions and application deadlines.

‍Can I edit my submitted application?

If the edits to your application are minimal, please email info@insighthealthdata.com with the changes you would like us to implement. If your edits are more substantial, please submit a new application. If you would like to update your resume/CV, please email info@insighthealthdata.com with a PDF file and a team member can update your application accordingly.

‍If I apply for a session and I am not accepted, can I re-apply for a future session without being penalized?

If you are not admitted, we absolutely welcome you to reapply without penalty. When you reapply, we would encourage you to update your application with any new projects, tools or classes you have worked on since your last submission.

Can I submit an application for more than one session?

If you are interested in more than one session, we ask that you please take the time to consider each location and submit your application to the location you are most interested in working in. Fellows in the Silicon Valley session will be introduced to and interview for jobs based in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, while Fellows in the Boston session will interview for jobs in Boston. We expect admission for all locations to be equally competitive. Your choice should be based on where you prefer to live and work.

‍How many applications do you receive/what is the acceptance rate?

‍Insight is indeed a competitive program, as we typically have ~1000 applications for each cycle of the Data Science program. As a result, we currently have many more applications than we have spaces in the program, but we are always looking for ways to grow the number of people who we can help in their career transition.

Do you keep a wait list for future sessions of Insight?

‍Unfortunately, we do not keep a wait list and require applicants to reapply for each session of Insight they are interested in. I would recommend that you sign up for the Insight Notification List to hear about future opportunities to participate in Insight.

‍What visa do I need to attend the program? Do you accept applications from non-US citizens who are not currently based in the US?

While we do not require a specific form of US work authorization to be admitted to the program, we do require that all applicants be able to work full-time in the US immediately upon completion of the Program, without needing to go through the H1B lottery. Students on F1 and about to start OPT are welcome to apply. If you have any further visa-related queries please email info@insighthealthdata.com.

‍What does the interview look like?

‍The interview consists of a 30 minute Skype chat with a Program Director. You will be given specific information prior to the interview, with enough time to prepare.

‍When will the next program be offered?

In the past, we have offered three Silicon Valley and Boston program sessions of Insight per year - January, June, and September, and expect to continue this pattern going forward. The sessions currently accepting applications are listed on the application page. The Insight Notification List is the best way to stay up to date on new sessions and application deadlines - we will send out a notification as we confirm future session dates and application deadlines.

Before coming to the program

‍Can I talk to an alumn of the program?

‍We are more than happy to connect you with an Insight alumn once you have been invited to participate in the program.

‍How long will I need to stay in the program location area once the program ends?

You must intend to get hired as a full-time data scientist after the program is finished and agree to interview with mentor companies immediately after the program. This process typically takes five to eight weeks following the conclusion of the 7 week program, and involves staying local to the Program so that you can participate in these interviews.

What if I am accepted and have to miss a few days of the program?

Participating in the program is a full-time commitment, and you are required to be present every day. Missing a day could result in falling behind. With that said, we understand that sometimes life happens and if something comes up and you are unable to attend a day or two, we will work with you to catch you up on what was covered.

Health Data vs. Data Science program

I have no background in healthcare or biology, can I still apply to the Health Data program?

Certainly! It is extremely commonplace for data scientists working in healthcare to come from an entirely different background. Health Data Science is an expansive field encompassing not only pharmaceutical and biotech R&D, but also health economics, outcomes research, hospital operations, health IT, personalized medicine, wearable devices, health insurance, and other areas in digital health. Accordingly, backgrounds in mathematics, statistics, computer science, engineering, physical science, and social science are appreciated. While some positions may require domain expertise in biology, the vast majority of positions require the same data science skill set that is applicable to many different industries.

What types of mentor companies participate with the Health Data program and the Data Science program in Boston and Silicon Valley?

The mentor companies participating in Boston and Silicon Valley range from small, venture-backed startups to multinational Fortune 500 companies. Mentor companies for the Health Data program span the full range of the healthcare sector, including pharmaceuticals, biotech, digital health, wearable devices, health insurance and outcomes research, pharmacies, and hospitals. For the Data Science program, participating mentor companies come from a variety of industries including ecommerce, technology, finance, marketing, consulting, cybersecurity and many more. To get a sense of examples of participating companies, please read further in our White Paper.

I’m interested in healthcare as well as other industries, is there any mentor company overlap between the Health Data and Data Science programs?

Currently, the Health Data and Data Science programs are distinguished primarily by the industry of mentor companies. Accordingly, the majority of companies that will participate in a session will tend to come from the healthcare field for the health data session, while the data science program will primarily interact with data science teams from other industries. There will still be the possibility, however, to interact with both healthcare and non-healthcare related companies as an Insight Fellow.

Are there differences in the structure of the Health Data and Data Science programs?

Both our Health Data Science and Data Science programs are structured very similarly and in Boston they run in parallel in the same space. Insight focuses on project-based learning, rather than classes, and Fellows meet industry leaders, present their projects, and begin interviewing in the same format and schedule (please read the White Paper for more information on the week-by-week structure of Insight). The major difference is with regards to projects, as Health Data science Fellows are expected to work on projects that analyze medical and biological datasets to showcase their interest and passion for a career in healthcare. See examples of past Health Data Fellows’ project here and here.

Do health data scientists have a distinct skill set from other data scientists?

Data scientists in the healthcare industry regularly utilize the same tools of the trade as other data scientists, and are required to be highly competent in statistics, machine learning, and programming. Many healthcare companies are working on similar problems to general tech companies, such as predictive modeling, time-series, natural language processing, deep learning, analytics, and user behaviors. The greatest distinction is with regards to the types of datasets being commonly used, with the healthcare industry focused on data generated from medical, claims, and billing records, genomics, imaging, and additional clinical information.

Will Boston be offering Insight Fellowships in Data Engineering or Artificial Intelligence?

At this time, there are no immediate plans to introduce Data Engineering or Artificial Intelligence programs in Boston. However, you are encouraged to sign up for our notification list to stay up to date regarding new Insight programs and locations. Feel free to email info@insightdatascience.com if you are strongly interested in a career in Artificial Intelligence or Data Engineering in Boston, and let us know what companies you are most excited about.

Should I apply to the Data Science program or the Health Data Science program?

The choice is ultimately yours. If you are passionate about healthcare and it is your goal to work as a data scientist in this industry, the Health Data program would be more appropriate. Similarly, if you come from a background in bioinformatics, computational biology, epidemiology, or public heath, and would like to remain in your field, the Health Data program would most likely be the better fit. Alternatively, if you are interested in exploring career opportunities in a number of industries, the Data Science program would be more suitable.

What are the differences in the admission process for the Health Data and Data Science Fellows Programs in Boston?

The admissions process for Health Data and Data Science is highly similar. If you choose to apply to the Health Data Program, it is not necessary to prepare a side project that is health related; however, an indication of motivation for working in healthcare may be asked. Please reference additional FAQs for more information on what to expect during the admissions process in general.